Lesson 9: Gifts for the Maturation of the Body (Ephesians 4:7-16)
Unity is not only a given but a process. Paul calls us to maintain the unity the Spirit has created (Ephesians 4:3), but then calls us to grow up into unity (Ephesians 4:13). In other words, God has created unity, and we are one! But this unity is not always visible or realized in our lives and communities. Unity is not only something the Spirit creates as a foundation, but it is a process by which we grow into the full measure of the Messiah. Leaders equip us for this process, and each member of the body is gifted to participate in the process. As people foundation on the unity of the Spirit (the 7 ones of Ephesians 4:4-6), we are no longer infants tossed about by deceiving winds but we speak and do the truth (that foundation) in love until the whole body matures into the likeness of the Messiah.
Unity (Eph 4:1-6): the unity (ἑνότητα) of the Spirit
- Relational: Mutual Forbearance in Love (Eph 4:1-3; ἐν ἀγάπῃ)
- Oneness: The Mystery of Christ (Eph 4:4-6)
Diversity (4:7-16): growing into the maturity of the faith
- The Exalted Christ Gives Gifts (Eph 4:7-11)
- The Function of Gifts in Love: Maturation (Eph 4:12-16; ἐν ἀγάπῃ)
Functioning almost like an inclusio, “each one” in Eph 4:7 (ἑνὶ δὲ ἑκάστῳ) and Eph 4:16 (ἑνὸς ἑκάστου) highlights how every part of the body is gifted to participate in the maturation of the one body in love (αὔξησιν τοῦ σώματος ποιεῖται εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ).
The Mystery of Christ (Ephesians 4:8-10)
The Messianic Centerpiece: A Theological Reading of Ps 68 (Eph 4:8-10).
The text describes an ascent and a descent, and after the ascent, there is the distribution of gifts. The topic is Christological, that is, this is the pattern of the Messiah’s activity for the salvation of the world.
- The Son descended to become incarnate: God become flesh.
- The incarnate Son as Messiah died on the cross
- The incarnate Son as Messiah descended into the realm of the dead.
- The incarnate Son as Messiah was resurrected from the dead.
- The incarnate Son as Messiah was exalted to the right hand of God.
- The incarnate Son as Messiah gave gifts to people for the mission of the church.
Psalm 68 celebrates God’s victory over enemies, the march through the wilderness to Sinai, the trek to Israel’s inheritance, and then enthronement in Zion where Yahweh resides and receives the processional praise and honor due to the divine king (in which women participate and announce the good news; 68:11, 25). From this exalted position in the sanctuary, where the “kingdoms of the earth” offer praise, the God of Israel distributes blessings and gifts (“gives power and strength to his people,” 68:35; cf. Psalm 67:1, 6-7).
Ephesians 4:8 quotes Psalm 68:18, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts (δόματα) to his people (ἀνθρώποις)”.
a. Psalm 68 celebrates the movement of Israel from Egypt (v. 7) to Sinai (v. 8) and then to Canaan (vv. 9-14) whereupon God ascends the throne on Zion in Jerusalem (vv. 15-18). Paul uses Psalm 68 to describe the ascension and enthronement of Jesus in Ephesians 4:8. Jesus rose from the grave, ascended to the throne, and gave gifts to the church (people, ἀνθρώποις) through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.
b. Psalm 68:25 places women in the liturgical procession of singers and musicians to the temple. Like Miriam, young women played tambourines as part of the procession. They visibly participated in Israel’s public worship in the assembled congregation.
c. Psalm 68:11 reads: “The Lord gives the command; great is the company of those who bore the tidings” (KJV). In the Septuagint “bore the tidings” is the same word as in the New Testament for “preaching the gospel” (εὐαγγελιζομένοις) or evangelists.
d. Significantly, in Hebrew, the word is feminine. Psalm 68 envisions a great company of women who declare the good news (ASV, ESV, NIV). In the light of Paul’s application of Psalm 68 to the ascension of Christ, we hear an echo of the gifting of women to preach the gospel when God poured out the Spirit and gifted the church with a variety of functions. This included prophets and evangelists (εὐαγγελιστάς; proclaimers of the gospel) in Ephesians 4:11.
The Gifts (Ephesians 4:11):
“the apostles, and” (δὲ),
“the prophets, and” (δὲ)
“the evangelists, and” (δὲ)
“the pastors [shepherds] and (καὶ) teachers.”
Purpose (Ephesians 4:12-13):
to equip the saints for (εἰς) the work of ministry, for (εἰς) building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity (ἑνότητα) of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity (εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον), to the measure of the full stature of Christ (εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ).
Result (Ephesians 4:14-16):
We must no longer be children (νήπιοι, infants), tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine (διδασκαλίας), by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love (ἀληθεύοντες δὲ ἐν ἀγάπῃ), we must grow up (αὐξήσωμεν) in every way into (εἰς) him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is supported, as each part (ἑκάστου μέρους) is working properly, promotes the body’s growth (αὔξησιν) in building itself up (εἰς οἰκοδομὴν) in love.